Thursday, 3 September 2015

Onwards through the bridge

Continuing to Riddlesden this morning, we stopped at Silsden for a pump-out, and for a while were completely blocking the cut, lined up as we were with all their boats on a turnaround day.

The bridge at Silsden is not the most auspicious or attractive, but it's significant – it marks the edge of the territory we've inhabited for the last few weeks, so at last we're venturing somewhere new.

The canal continued with the swing bridge theme, though none were as filthy as this one (191), over which the farmer regularly troops his cows, leaving it covered in mud and muck. My best beloved's trainers needed a thorough washing. Mind you, the saddest about this bridge was that just beyond the gate to the field below was an anxious-looking cow, and in a paddock above the bridge nearer the farm was her calf, separated for some reason. They were crying pitifully to each other.

The day was a mix of sun, cloud and showers as we passed through green sections. Hardly any traffic, but this moored boat caught our eye.

We couldn't really make out what the superstructure was made of (possibly wood / ply), nor whether it had any means of propulsion or steering. Presumably a couple of oars through the side doors would do.

The gas bottle at the back and the hatch and solar panel at the front indicated that the whole thing wasn't just one large inflatable.

Riddlesden is a suburb of Keighley, but with NT's East Riddlesden Hall just down the road we expected something at least a tad rural. Instead, we've found ourselves tied up next to a building site! We want to visit the Hall, but it's closed today and tomorrow, so we're here for a couple of days. That will give us more time to get nervous about the very large waterways at which we shall shortly arrive.